ECW On SyFy | 20th October 2009
Instead of the usual fade-in to the arena's roar and commentary, a gentle patter of rain fills the air. The camera slowly pans across a wide shot, revealing the crumbling remains of a church. We linger on this desolate scene before the camera fades to black. A beat later, we cut to the interior. A lone figure stands with his back to us, bathed in the dim light. Above him, on a makeshift altar, a blackboard looms large. Scrawled across its top in bold letters are the words...
LUST – GLUTTONY – GREED – PRIDE – WRATH – ENVY – SLOTH
Curt Hawkins' voice, a low monotone, cuts through the silence. “These seven face the consequences of their own sins,” he says. The camera pans slowly, revealing The Martyr of Sin staring intently at the board, each card underneath one of the titles. Each card depicts an ECW Superstar – Jack Swagger labelled “Greed,” Zack Ryder branded “Gluttony,” and finally, Tommy Dreamer under the grim title “Wrath.” Hawkins continues, “Dreamer, for all his fury, found his own wrath turned against him. Though I wasn't the dealer of his fate...”
Hawkins goes on to explain, four figures remain, their fates hanging heavy in the air. Two cards are unsurprising: Christian, branded with “Lust,” a fitting label for his recent pursuit of ECW legends and the ECW Title. Ezekiel Jackson, tagged with “Sloth,” explains Hawkins' voice, highlighting his inaction – content to listen to Christian's whispers and let opportunity slip through his fingers.
But the final two cards hold the true mystery. Hawkins remains silent, his gaze fixed. The camera creeps closer, revealing the first – Shelton Benjamin…??? Labelled with the sin of “Envy.”
Then, the final reveal. Pride. Two cards – a double image of Curt Hawkins himself. One half, a relic of the past, the "Edgehead" grinning alongside The Rated R Superstar, Edge. The other, his current form, the self-proclaimed Martyr of Sin. His voice, heavy, hangs in the air, “… some sins are self-inflicted.”
Darkness shrouds Hawkins’ face, moonlight slivers highlighting the cracks snaking across the ruined church walls. He turns, facing the camera with a withered stare. A long moment stretches. Finally, he speaks, his voice echoing in around the chamber. “Ezekiel Jackson,” he says, hands spreading wide in a theatrical gesture. “A titan reduced to a glorified bodyguard.”
The Martyr of Sin lets the weight of his words sink in. “Only two other men,” he continues, voice dropping to a whisper, “have walked these hallowed grounds. But that's about to change. Before Christian can experience the consequences of his actions, Ezekiel Jackson… you… must visit the Sanctuary of Sin.”
And with that, the camera pans to the background, where it focuses on the labels and cards before fading out to black, while the sound of the rain continues to play until we head to a commercial break.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Back from the break and we’re immediately backstage for a short segment where the camera focuses in on a very much lost in thought, Shelton Benjamin. The Gold Standard sits on a steel chair in the middle of the locker room, the WWE Unified Tag Team Titles on either side of him and he seems lost until his tag team partner, Charlie Haas enters the room and asks him what’s on his mind. Benjamin becomes a little hostile here, standing up and asking Haas if he saw what that “sick freak” Curt Hawkins did. Benjamin explains that HIS image was on Hawkins’ board of nightmares under the word Envy. A strange, almost awkward look passes between the two champions while Haas rubs the back his neck. He doesn’t say anything more, but he doesn’t have too, because the two are interrupted by the ECW General Manager, Tiffany.
The blonde commends both on a job well done on both SmackDown and RAW, and as a reward, they have the night off—but she says, “Remember—while neither of your three opponents can set foot on ECW, you both can appear on either RAW or SmackDown as you see fit. Do with that information what you will.” She goes to leave but then turns back and says, “And remember, while you two are opponents in the WWE Extreme Heavyweight Championship tournament, you are tag team champions first, which means focus on Hell In A Cell and make sure ECW keeps those tag titles.”
She now turns and leaves and the tag team champions watch her go, but the camera focuses for a touch longer than normal, and the eagle-eyed viewer can see Haas glance at his tag team partner momentarily as we cut to the arena.
And it’s here Tony Chimel introduces us to the jobber of the evening, a woman known as Rebecca Knox and the woman receives little to no reaction from the crowd.
Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Party
Attention turns to the stage however, as Alicia Fox waltz her way onto the stage, receiving some heat from the crowd. Behind her is Lacey Von Erich and the duo walk down the ramp—their Sapphire gem rings glinting in the lights.
Meanwhile, Matt Striker and Josh Matthews take a moment to speculate on the video they just watched from Curt Hawkins, first Matthews wonders why Shelton Benjamin’s name was on the board and Striker says, “Perhaps it’s to do with the fact that Charlie Haas has taken ECW by storm the past few months, winning the WWE Unified Tag Team Titles for the team, pinning a former World Champion in Chris Jericho, taking Shawn Michaels to his absolute limit… and after all, a man who calls himself The Gold Standard… you get where I’m going with this, right?” He goes on to make note of an incident between the pair on The Abraham Washington Show one month ago, when the two went face to face after an argument instigated by the talk show host which turned out to be a joke, but Striker wonders how much real feelings were included in that confrontation – but it’s back to action as the referee calls for the bell.
Match One: Singles Contest
Alicia Fox vs. Rebecca Knox
Not much description required here. Alicia Fox dominates from the get-go. Of course, Rebecca Knox would go on to become Becky Lynch in the WWE, but as of right now, that’s not the case, and booked jobber for the night goes down easily to the ever aggressive Alicia.
WINNER: Alicia Fox @ 1.48
The referee calls for the bell and Lacey Von Erich ushers Rebecca Knox out of the ring, stomping on her back until she falls to the mat covered concrete.
In the ring, Alicia has her hand raised by the referee, but the camera cuts and we can see Green Knight member, Super Katie Lea in the rafters, clad in her usual inverted Hurricane clothing, she stares at Alicia and Lacey as they leave the ring, the commentary reminding us that Katie took Lacey under her wing for only a short week before Alicia and Dustin Rhodes got their hands on her.
And speaking of Dustin Rhodes, after the commercial break, we’ll have a sit-down interview between him and our very own, Josh Matthews.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Back from the break and we’re backstage with Josh Matthews sitting in a small black chair. He welcomes us back to the show and introduces his guest tonight, Dustin Rhodes. The camera pans slowly out to reveal the man himself, sat in a much more refined, larger leather chair, in a lovely navy suit and the usual sapphire cane by his side. All he’d need is a cat to stroke and he’d look like the perfect villain.
Matthews begins by thanking him for his time and puts forth the question, why the sudden change in attitude, presentation and why create the group known as The Natural Alliance. “Simple, Josh,” he says, “for my entire career I have pretended to be someone I am not. What you see before you—the suit, the tie, the cane, the gem. This is me. I am the son of a plumber and a brother of a chosen star of the future, correct?” Rhodes waits for Matthews to nod before stating that everything has changed. “I am more than that. I am more than Cody Rhodes’ brother and more than Dusty Rhodes’ son. I am my own man.”
He explains—much like himself, put in a bubble—Alicia Fox was stuck in a working relationship with DJ Gabriel. A role not befitting someone of her talents. Lacey Von Erich ran the risk of being grouped with four individuals who pretend to be superheroes. “People paint me as the villain. Perhaps I am, but I am simply changing the trajectory of my career, and the people I choose to associate with.”
Matthews asks him what the sapphire signifies. Dustin explains that his brother was always seen as the heir apparent to his father’s legacy—the diamond of the Rhodes family, if you will. A gem is a gem no matter what. He goes onto reference his fathers manager, indicating to the crowd that while this is not a history lesson, Dusty Rhodes had a manager by the name of Sapphire, and Dustin credits her with showing a lot of love and support, something he has very rarely experienced in his career, from anyone -- mentioning that the reason the sapphire gem plays an important role in The Natural Alliance is because it indicate to people that the group is here for all of it's members, to progress their careers.
“You have had a number of incidents with The Green Knights on ECW, care to comment?” Matthews leans back in his chair, clipboard resting on his lap. Rhodes ponders the question for a moment before simply stating, “Every superhero group requires a villain.” Matthews doesn’t quite know how to respond for a moment, but then asks about the phone conversation Alicia Fox had last week and if Dustin can shed any light on the matter that was regarding. Dustin doesn’t say a word, but instead slowly shakes his head.
A tense silence hangs in the air. Suddenly, figures emerge from the backstage darkness behind Matthews. Alicia Fox and Lacey Evans stride past the interviewer, their eyes fixed on the leader of The Natural Alliance. Fox, with a sly smirk, reaches into her pocket and produces a small, folded object.
As they approach, the camera pans to Dustin. Fox extends her hand, offering the object. Dustin slowly unfolds it. The image flickers into view - a stark reminder of his past, a photo of himself in full Goldust attire.
His gaze lingering on the flamboyant persona that was once a part of him. But the moment is fleeting. A flicker of defiance sparks in his eyes. With a deliberate motion, he crumples the photo and throws it to the ground, the sound echoing in the sudden quiet.
He straightens his suit jacket. Without a word, he turns and strides purposefully away, Alicia and Lacey flanking him. The camera lingers on the discarded photo, a symbolic shedding of his former self.
…
…
Elsewhere, the cameras fade in, and like the earlier segment with Shelton Benjamin, an almost mirror image of Ezekiel Jackson fills the frame. He’s sat, like Benjamin, on a steel chair, staring into space. And much like the previous segment where Charlie Haas came into the room, this time it’s the ECW World Champion, Christian, who receives—as you’d expect, tremendous heat from the crowd in the arena.
Christian doesn’t acknowledge the big man, instead walks past him and starts sorting out things in a large locker. Placing the ECW Title inside. Then, Ezekiel Jackson’s voice fills the room, “He’s right.”
Christian stops what he’s doing but doesn’t turn around, instead he simply says, “What?”
Jackson glares at the back of Christian’s head and stands up, taking a step towards him. “I’ve listened to you for months now. Promise after promise. And yet, I still don’t see an ECW Title shot in my future.”
Christian turns around slowly, the camera framing it so the ECW Title is in the shot while the two men face each other. “With all due respect,” Christian said, “the fact you’re even listening to that psychotic freak is incredibly stupid.” He goes onto explain that yes, Christian has promised Ezekiel a title shot, in the future, and that date will come. Ezekiel seems to be getting more and more frustrated, going so far as to close his eyes, but Christian continues, as the self-proclaimed Heart and Soul of ECW says, “Besides, it was me that had to handle Yoshi Tatsu last week since you couldn’t get the job done.” Ignoring the fact Jackson was somewhat unfortunate in that match, it’s truly not the right thing to say, as immediately Big Zeke grabs Christian by the neck and pushes him into the lockers.
The room is filled with Jackson’s heavy breathing and Christian’s attempt to create some separation between his neck and Ezekiel’s huge forearm. Christian manages to choke out a few words, stating that if he takes care of Curt Hawkins next week, then at Hell in a Cell, the Canadian will put his ECW World Title on the line in a match between the two of them.
Jackson slumped back onto the steel chair, a flicker of something dancing in his eyes. A low murmur escapes his lips, barely audible, "Sanctuary of Sin. Okay." Christian, meanwhile, gingerly touching the red mark on his neck, makes a timely exit.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
Before the main event, we get a brief recap of the events leading up to it, namely:
~ William Regal and Paul Burchill’s alliance forming and subsequent rivalry with Mark Henry and Vladimir Kozlov
~ Bryan Danielson making his presence felt after weeks of sitting in the crowd, by interfering after the bell, effectively putting Mark Henry out of action while introducing himself to the WWE universe.
~ William Regal announcing Bryan Danielson to the world, only to be betrayed and seriously injured, causing Paul Burchill to fight the battle, resulting in this upcoming first round match in the WWE Extreme Heavyweight Championship tournament.
In the arena…
RIPPER
Now, the stage is adorned with British flags, which obviously draws a cheer from the crowd, and while Paul Burchill has never been the most popular star here on ECW, he does receive a decent reaction as he walks down the ramp with a pair of blue, red and white tights on. With the unofficial and unsanctioned, WWE European Championship around his waist, he heads down the ramp and slides into the ring.
The commentary team remind us that this is a first-round match in the WWE Extreme Championship tournament, and they have had it confirmed, that the final will be competed under Extreme Rules, and any subsequent title matches will follow suit.
BORN FOR GREATNESS
Bit of a mixed reaction here, with a somewhat knowledgeable crowd here tonight, as most people know of Bryan Danielson’s history and as a result, the boos and cheers are fifty fifty. Nonetheless, Danielson comes out onto the ramp, clad in navy and silver tights, a far cry from the maroon tights which he had unceremoniously stomped on in the ring recently. He heads down the ramp, ready to do battle, eyes focused on his opponent.
WWE Extreme Championship Tournament Round 1
Bryan Danielson versus Paul Burchill
As the bell rings, Danielson immediately takes control, displaying a range of technical skills. He expertly manipulates Burchill’s body before delivering a series of quick, swift kicks to his legs. Danielson’s precision and ability is on full display as he transitions into another series of holds, grappling The Ripper to the mat with a tight armbar, forcing Burchill to scramble to the ropes for a break.
The American Dragon keeps the pressure on, not giving Burchill any room to breathe. He executes a beautifully timed German Suplex after ducking a right hand, followed by a series of elbow strikes to the chest of the seated Englishman. From there, he attempts a pin, but Burchill shows fight, powering out, getting the crowd back into it.
Sensing a shift, Burchill begins to mount a comeback. He catches Danielson off-guard with a sudden uppercut, followed by a clothesline that sends Bryan crashing to the outside. The crowd rallies here, as Burchill drops down out of the ring and picks Danielson up, slamming him with a heavy suplex on the outside. Burchill rolls him into the ring and looks to be setting him up for the G4, something we haven’t seen in a long time but Danielson elbows his way out, the struggles into the corner.
Motivated, Burchill increases the aggression, following his opponent to the corner and landing a series of strikes and a big boot which stuns the American. However, the comeback falters when he – again – goes for the G4 but Danielson counters, ducking down and using a drop-toe-hold to get Burchill down to the mat again.
Suddenly, Danielson hits the ropes as Burchill gets on all fours, and lands a vicious knee to the side of Burchill’s head. As quick as a flash, Danielson transitions, capturing Burchill in what Matt Striker calls the LeBell Lock!
The hold is locked in tight, but Burchill appears to be fighting it, reaching out to the crowd for support, his hometown. It’s too much in the end, though, because after a long thirty seconds, The Ripper taps.
WINNER: Bryan Danielson @ 9.48
It’s a match which lasted longer than Danielson would have liked it too, evidenced by the fact he is clearly not finished—picking Paul Burchill up and launching him over the top rope. The American Dragon follows him, aggressively ripping the top of the announce table off and holding The Ripper up adjacent to it.
Danielson looks around at the booing fans before turning to the camera and says, “You better be watching, Regal,” before suplexing Burchill, THROUGH THE GOD DAMN TABLE!!
It’s chaos at ringside as the referee rushes to check on Burchill. Meanwhile, the camera follows Danielson over to the timekeepers area where he reaches in and yanks the unsanctioned European Championship from Tony Chimel! The American Dragon looks at the championship, one which William Regal held with so much pride and joy, and walks over to Burchill, ushering the referee and now medical staff away from the scene. Standing over him, Danielson raises the European Championship over his head to a rousing round of boos from the crowd… but then…
SOMEBODY GON GET THEIR ASS KICKED
Business is about to pick up!
Because, to a huge ovation, after being on the shelf for a handful of weeks at the hands of The American Dragon, The World’s Strongest Man, Mark Henry is marching down to the ring!
Danielson, seeing this, turns away from the announce table and slides into the ring. He watches Henry approach—holding the European Championship at his side. Mark Henry slides into the ring, and immediately tanks a few back handed clubs to the back before breaking free and sending Danielson falling back towards the ropes.
The American Dragon rebounds, right into Henry who picks him up, ready to plant him with The World’s Strongest Slam as the packed crowd here tonight react positively… but Danielson manages to wriggle free, and he quickly slides out of the ring.
Henry points to Danielson, telling him to get his ass back in the squared circle but Bryan simply backs away, and for the first time since his arrival on ECW, we see a flicker of concern on his face, but that doesn’t stop him grabbing the fallen European Title from ringside and heading up the ramp, shaking his head.
The last image we see is of Mark Henry—returning to great fan fair—in the centre of the ring as Matt Striker and Josh Matthews sign us off, reminding us that next week on ECW, we will see the return of The Sanctuary of Sin match when Curt Hawkins will face off against Ezekiel Jackson!!
And we’ve just heard from ECW General Manager, Tiffany, that this coming Friday, The World’s Greatest Tag Team will attend SmackDown, where Shelton Benjamin will face off against The Straight-Edge Superstar, CM Punk!!
Confirmed for WWE Friday Night SmackDown:
CM Punk vs. Shelton Benjamin
Confirmed for the next edition of ECW:
Sanctuary of Sin: Curt Hawkins vs. Ezekiel Jackson
WWE Extreme Championship Tournament: Yoshi Tatsu vs. Fit Finlay
